Model of McAdam's military ambulance, England, 1850-1900

Wooden model of McAdam's horse-drawn suspension ambulance, military, probably English, 1850-1900

Transporting wounded men away from the battlefield or between different medical units has long proved difficult for the armed forces. Throughout the 1800s a number of vehicles were developed which were designed specifically for transporting the wounded.

Inside the cart, originally suspended above the axle, there is room for four men in a sitting position. The ride from battlefield to field hospital would have been a bumpy and uncomfortable one, but the inventor has at least attempted to develop a basic suspension system which would have provided more comfort than many such vehicles. Little is known about ‘McAdam’, supposedly the inventor of this ambulance.